Out of the Darkness and into the Light
by levisbratxx
Summary: An uncompromising order from Erwin forces Levi to return to the underground dump he once called home. Tasked with the nuisance of dragging two criminals back to the Legion for enlistment, Levi readies his blades and 3DMG. But he never imagined that his heart wouldn't be prepared for who, or what, he would find.
1. Chapter 1

"Don't be a moron, Erwin. I'm really hoping that bespectacled idiot stuffed her precious titan shit into my ears, because I don't want to believe what I'm hearing. This is possibly your worst idea to date," Levi scoffed.

He sat, silently seething, in the chair across from the Commander's desk. Half hidden beneath raven bangs, his slate eyes shot Erwin a reproachful look.

Erwin regarded Levi coolly from the other side of the desk. He had known his inferior officer for a number of years now and placed an incredible amount of trust in the man. In his eyes, Levi was the only one suited for the task at hand. Erwin expected Levi to obey the orders, but he knew Levi's submission would not be achieved easily this time.

Erwin began to wonder at what point in their working relationship he had grown so lax to allow Levi to talk back to him. A small frown etched itself into his chiseled face; he couldn't recall. By this point, of course, Erwin had grown accustomed to Levi's quarrelling. Levi was the only one allowed to question his orders. Often times Erwin sought out Levi's shrewd judgment on military strategies and commands, and he valued the Corporal's honest opinion. This was not one of those times. He couldn't help but feel a tinge of annoyance as he saw anger briefly flash through Levi's eyes, soiling his usually disinterested expression.

"The next expedition is in a month's time. Our recruits currently lack in both quantity and skill, drastically reducing our chance for successful completion," Erwin explained calmly. He challenged Levi's unblinking gaze, refusing to let his eyebrows budge even a centimeter. He was not going to back down this time.

"And what makes you so sure a couple of thieving brats are going to increase our survival rate? They haven't even seen those giant dickless horrors with their own eyes, which are probably clouded over with smog and grime from living underground." Levi almost shuddered, suppressing the sudden urge to clean something.

"Have you forgotten that humanity's strongest soldier was once one of those thieving brats?" Erwin posed to his irritated comrade. "You are a testament that they can be of immense assistance to the legion."

Levi rolled his eyes in response, an annoyed "tch" sounding from his mouth. "Have _you_ forgotten that my two companions fell in the line of duty on their first mission? We never received proper military training, and they weren't prepared for the colossal douchebags waiting for them outside the walls."

Erwin's placid features twitched slightly. He knew this question was coming from the start, but that didn't make it any easier to address.

"The Recon Corps has grown and learned from their unfortunate deaths," Erwin started. "I thought you of all people would understand. That you would want to offer these new delinquents a chance at a better life and a purpose worth fighting for. It's what she would have wanted. It's what she _did_ want."

Levi slammed his fist violently against the hard wood surface of Erwin's desk. A once neat stack of papers fluttered through the air and the grating 'clank' of a quill hitting the ground rang through the room. Erwin sat unmoving during Levi's outburst.

"Is that what they are to you? Shitty specs of data for that constipated four eyes to study? If you're going to allow history to repeat itself, then you haven't learned a damn thing," Levi spat, propelling himself from the chair and into an intimidating standing position. He turned his back on Erwin, striding toward the door.

"Levi," Erwin said sharply, causing him to halt abruptly in the doorway. "I like to believe I have indeed learned something from the death of your friends. That is exactly why the responsibility to train the new recruits will fall on your shoulders directly. This is not up for debate. It's an order. You leave for Sina tomorrow, and I expect you to return with both of them."

Levi stormed out of the Commander's office without sparing his superior another glance. He knew damn well his emotions had gotten the best of him, and he cursed himself for it. But how could Erwin be so stupid? The old man had to be smoking some serious titan fumes or something. No matter what Levi thought, Erwin was still his superior when it came down to it, and he would have to comply with the Commander's fucking shitty excuse for a plan.

The Corporal held back a growl as painful, repressed memories of Isabel Magnolia and Farlan Church flooded his thoughts. Part of him had never forgiven himself for his arrogant decision to leave them behind as titan fodder, or Erwin for putting his friends in that position in the first place. If the deaths of Isabel and Farlan had taught Levi anything, it was that he had allowed himself to get much too close. Despite their lack of blood ties, he had considered the twosome his siblings. He suffered for it after their passing, resigning never to allow himself the comfort of human companionship again.

Levi's racing train of thoughts came to a screeching halt as he collided with something very solid and very stationary. He steadied himself, eyeing the culprit that dared to stand in his path.

"Watch it, you suicidal monster of epic proportion," Levi snapped at a rather startled Eren. "What the hell are you doing in the hallway looking like you need to take a titan-sized shit?"

Eren's eyes widened into saucers. "S-sorry sir! I was just…" but his voice trailed off as he felt the increasing heat of Levi's infuriated gaze. His mouth gaped stupidly, searching for words and finding none.

A mop of shiny black hair stepped out from behind Eren, its owner shooting Levi an odious look. The corners of her lips turned downward into a scowl as she observed the unusually distracted Corporal.

"It's not his fault," Mikasa said defensively. "If you where paying attention where those stubby legs of yours were carrying you, you wouldn't have run into him."

If possible, Eren's gaping mouth widened even further. "Mikasa!" he exclaimed.

Eren wasn't shocked Mikasa would speak to Levi that way. After watching Levi smash Eren's face into an unrecognizable pulp and knock out some teeth in the process at his military trial, she harbored an unforgivable grudge toward the small-statured man. In Levi's defense and Hange's pure delight, the teeth did grow back. But that still didn't earn him any respect from Mikasa.

Levi rolled his eyes as he brushed imaginary dust from his emerald cloak. "I don't have the time or patience to deal with you lovesick brats. Get out of my sight before I shove broomsticks up your tight assholes and make you clean the entire castle."

Mikasa looked like she wanted to continue hurling insults at her superior, but there was no way in hell Eren was going to let her do that, especially if it meant extra cleaning duties. Somehow she always managed to get _both _of them in trouble when she talked back to Levi. If anything, Eren was annoyed at her overbearing habit to protect him. It was just a verbal beating from Levi, something pretty much all the cadets suffered on a daily basis, the amount of expletives varying depending on how much they happened to piss him off.

Eren grabbed Mikasa's wrist, yanking her down the hallway in the opposite direction of Levi. "Sorry, Heichou! It won't happen again! I'll watch where I'm going!" Eren called behind him.

"What the hell, Mikasa?" he demanded once they were out of Levi's earshot. "Do you want me to die a slow, soapy death? I'm gonna have to clean the castle forever if you don't quit it." He released his grip on her wrist, shoving her away.

"Of course I don't," she said, stating the obvious. "But it _was_ his fault. Someone needs to put the midget bastard in his place."

"It's not going to be you!" Eren retorted. "He'll slice you in two before you can bat an eye."

Mikasa seemed amused, like she would have welcomed the challenge. But the moment was fleeting, and annoyance flashed in her eyes. "Why can't you just accept that I'm trying to stick up for you? You won't even do it for yourself. It's pathetic. I'll never understand why you idolize him."

"Whatever, can you just drop it Mikasa?" Eren asked in utter exasperation. It was worthless arguing with her when she was so headstrong, and Eren was becoming more aggravated by the second.

"Hey, what do you think is wrong with him?" he pondered after a moment. "He never gives us the chance to escape punishment…"

Mikasa just shrugged her shoulders. "Who cares? What isn't wrong with him?"

* * *

><p>"Bloody hell, this is disgusting," Levi muttered as he groped through the darkness.<p>

He never thought he would return to the dank, shitty place he used to call home. The strong, earthy smell invading his senses did nothing to ease him. Levi walked through the underground city, hiding his face from the view of strangers beneath his cloak. He passed rows of decaying buildings with broken windows and crumbling walls.

Levi could feel suspicious eyes boring into the back of his cloak, and he really hoped he wouldn't have to pick a fight. He could win, no question, but he didn't want to cause more of a scene than necessary. He knew better than anyone how guarded the inhabitants of the underground could be.

Fucking filthy. He frowned as his boots treaded through an ambiguous brown substance that smelled suspiciously like shit.

Levi's ears perked up suddenly. He stilled at the familiar whizzing sound of maneuvering gear. His eyes darted around, searching for the source.

"Wheee! Catch me if you can!" a cheery feminine voice called. A flash of long, white-blonde hair fluttered through the darkness, curls bouncing wildly.

Perfect pearly teeth flashed into a dazzling smile. "You can be so immature sometimes, you brat," her companion responded, rolling his eyes.

She pouted. "So you'll do it, right? Or are you scared I'm too fast for you?"

"Who would be scared of losing to an idiot girl like you? I'll catch you in no time, dumbass."

He grappled onto a nearby building, whizzing speedily through the air in her direction. What he hadn't expected was to crash into her stagnant body. He should have known something was wrong when she didn't respond to his insult. He desperately shot his grappling hooks at the cavernous ceiling, latching onto a sturdy-looking stalactite.

"What the hell, Addie? You didn't even put up a chase," he muttered.

"Shh. Did you hear that, Fern?" she whispered, clutching her side he had just smashed into, hard.

The two hung a few inches away from each other midair, barely daring to breathe. Fern strained his ears, taking note of every passing sound. Disbelief flickered in his eyes, a look he shared with his partner. He definitely heard what she just heard. The sound was barely audible, but it was distinct to their ears. They listened to the clang of grappling hooks fastening onto passing buildings, the noise intensifying each time. The soft _'swoosh' _of a cloak flapping echoed through the air as a figure soared toward them at an alarming rate.

"Someone else is here," Fern gulped, lowering his gaze to scan his peripheries. Whoever it was possessed enough skill to avoid his acute eyes.

"Thanks, genius," Addie said sarcastically, swatting his forehead. But the anxious look on her face didn't escape him; he saw through her joking immediately. "Nobody else uses 3DMG down here. Who do you think it is? The police?"

Fern shook his head firmly. "They wouldn't remove their asses from the comfort of their golden chamber pots for filth like us. There!" he shouted suddenly.

The shadow of a figure cloaked in green was a mere 10 meters away from them, hurtling their way with breakneck speed.

"The fuck? Scouting Legion," he hissed, quickly noting the emblem adorning the cloak. "Go!"

Fern grasped the handgrips of his 3DMG frantically, shooting his wires this way and that. The currents of air their movements created waved his shoulder-length burgundy locks wildly, partially obscuring his vision. He shot a quick glance over his shoulder to see Addie trailing close behind him. She followed Fern above tall buildings, through narrow alleyways, and even in between the paths of frightened people.

"We're not losing him!" she called desperately, glancing at the flash of green that was still hot on their trail.

He let out a low growl. "We have to split up!" he insisted. "I'll meet you back at home. Don't go there until you're sure you've lost this persistent bastard."

"No!" she screeched above the wind. "I'm staying with you!"

"You are fucking not," he retorted, thrusting her in the other direction. "I better not hear you behind me!"

The lines of her face furrowed angrily, but there was no point following Fern now, seeing as he had already changed her course. She travelled further, reaching the outskirts of the city where buildings were nowhere near as dense.

_Oh shit_, she breathed. Soon she would have nothing to grapple onto.

With one perfected motion, she fluidly aimed her cables behind her shoulder, fastening her hooks onto the roof of a building a few meters away. She vaulted herself backward, twirling madly in the air to achieve greater speed. To her horror, she watched as the emerald-cloaked man emulated her technique flawlessly. She was never formally trained with a 3DMG, and she knew the military would not have taught cadets her peculiar methods. Could it be…? She pried her eyes away from the figure and surveyed her options for possible escape routes.

It was now or never. Taking a crazy gamble Fern would have deemed idiotic, Addie lowered herself down to the first floor of the building before curling herself into a tight ball and driving her body through the window. The sharp sounds of breaking glass and traumatized screams filled the air of what she could now see was a bar. But she paid them no mind as she crashed through the window at the other end of the room.

Her face was sticky with blood and a couple glass shards had wedged themselves painfully into her right cheek. Addie panicked when the blood coagulated, matting her hair in front of her eyes and obstructing her vision fully. She flailed her arms in attempt to yank her hair out of her face so she could figure out where to turn next. Her efforts were futile.

The breath was knocked out of her as she hurtled into a brick wall. Time stood still and Addie seemed to float there before plummeting to the ground in a limp heap, followed by the clanking of gears. She groaned, forcing herself onto all fours with great effort. Addie stalled there for a moment to catch her breath before raising herself upward. She finally brushed the tangled mess of hair out of her eyes to examine her surroundings.

_Fuck._ _Fuck fuck fuck and more fuck._ She seemed to have lost her pursuer, but her 3DMG was broken. She had to find Fern, and fast. Adding to her terrible luck was the fact that her feeble, injured body stood at the dead end of a dark alley.

"You have got to be kidding me," she croaked.

"Nope," a listless voice responded as Addie was cast into the firm grip of the very pursuer she thought she had finally managed to evade.

She couldn't see him; her back was pressed firmly against his chest. His left arm pinned her against him by her collarbone, and his right drew his steely blade to her neck. She quivered, wondering if she was about to breathe her last breath as the sharp edge of his blade teased her skin.

She heard the scuffle of footsteps as Fern landed gingerly in a crouching position a few feet away from them. He sprang to his feet, brandishing twin blades. His jade eyes narrowed into thin slits, glaring above her head at her captor. She had never seen him look so livid.

"Let her go," Fern snarled, baring his teeth.

A few seconds of silence passed between the three of them.

"I don't like getting my blades dirty," her captor said mildly. "But if you make a move I will gut this inept fuck and feed her innards to a titan." He tightened his grip on the blade pressed against her neck, severing her skin. A few crimson droplets of blood dribbled down her porcelain throat.

Addie felt tears beginning to well up in the corners of her eyes. She wanted to cry, and not just because she thought she was about to meet her death. She wanted to cry for so many reasons. She would never forget the bored sound of his voice laced with more curses than ever appropriate.

"It's okay, Fern," she said quietly, her voice trembling. "He won't hurt me. Will you, Levi?"

* * *

><p><strong>Heheheh. This serves as sort of a test chapter, if you will. Hopefully I will continue this story and write longer chapters in the future. Let me know what you think! I hope you like it, because I already started an outline for a flashback chapter! Wahoo.<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

Levi blanched. A look of utter disbelief invaded his emotionless features, and for a split second he thought his blade would slip out of his grip.

"Addie," Levi muttered, his quiet words tickling the top of her head.

Fern sensed Levi's slight hesitation and decided to take advantage of the moment. He lunged forward, his blades aimed squarely at Levi's face. Addie squeezed her eyes shut in fear. This wasn't going to end well, and she was not about to risk moving with Levi's weapon pressing against her neck.

The next thing Addie knew she was pinned roughly against the ground. She could feel the rigid sole of his boot pushing into her lower back and trapping her in place. The tip of his blade grazed her right shoulder. She was much too numb to tell if he had sliced into her skin again. She let out a low groan and pried her eyes open to see Fern collapsed in the dark corner of the alley.

Addie's body was in pain, but her heart hurt more. The man she believed to be dead for the past ten years seemed to have no qualms with killing her. He may as well have ripped her heart out of her chest and cut it up into thousands of tiny pieces.

What had he been doing for the past decade that he couldn't have come back for her? Addie couldn't make sense of it all. She was so totally confused, her mind was swimming with questions, and she was beginning to feel faint. She coughed as his hold intensified, droplets of blood settling into the creases of her lips.

"Levi? You're the asshole that left her for dead? Did you come to finish the fucking job?" Fern spat, the revulsion in his voice evident. He glowered as he thrust himself back on his feet.

"What the fuck are you on about? And just who the hell are you?" Levi questioned the maroon-haired man. "Whatever. It doesn't matter to me," he interrupted when Fern opened his mouth to speak. "Now drop your blades and kick them over here if you want her to live."

Fern took one look at Addie and immediately obeyed Levi's order. Blood, bruises, and scrapes painted a horrifying picture on her face. Fern's blades clattered to the ground and he gently kicked them in Levi's direction.

"The same goes for the rest of your weapons," Levi pressed, motioning to Fern's blades.

Fern hesitated before drawing a combat knife from his pocket and tossing it over.

"And the one in your boot," Levi added to Fern's astonishment. "I lived down here. I can see it in your eyes. You won't be satisfied until you slice me up a hundred different ways until Sunday and toss my remains in the trash. I'm telling you right now it's not going to happen." Fern narrowed his eyes and added a sheathed survival knife to the pile.

Levi finally released his hold on Addie and she rolled onto her back, clutching her chest. Fern watched anxiously as her chest rose and fell haphazardly.

"Levi," she wheezed, stretching out her arm to him. He didn't move.

"Levi…" she repeated, her voice taking on a distressed quality full of hurt.

"Don't waste your breath on him, Addie," Fern said bitterly as he grabbed her hand and helped her onto her feet. "Are you okay?" He moved to examine her but she ignored him, turning to face Levi instead.

"Levi!" she exclaimed, her voice rising into hysterics. "Look at me. Where are they?"

"They're dead, aren't they?" she surmised, somehow managing to read his always stoic features. She grasped the front of his cloak in desperation, her pale lavender eyes pleading him to speak. After more silence, she shakily whispered, "Did you do it?"

"What kind of idiotic question is that?" he snarled, tearing her hand from his cloak. "I always knew you were an immature brat, but I at least thought your head was on your shoulders and not up your own ass. Seems I was mistaken."

Her heart ached, her brain ached, her body ached, hell everything ached. Her eyes locked onto his cold gaze, and the hurt in her eyes morphed into anger.

"What do you expect me to think if you're not going to tell me anything?" Addie exclaimed. "What the hell happened to you? Were you too busy basking in the gold and glory of the Scouting Legion to come back for me? Who knew you would turn into such a self-righteous little bastard."

"Enough, Addie," he said firmly. "I always said you asked too many questions. Shut up before I have to silence you permanently."

He closed the distance between them and stood a foot away from her. His nimble hands darted out to her body and began patting her down roughly. She squeaked when he touched dangerously close to her womanhood.

"Pervert," she hissed.

"Is that really necessary?" Fern demanded. He had been watching the scene unfold in silence, his arms crossed tightly against his chest.

Levi didn't answer, instead tossing Addie's blades and a pocketknife into the growing pile of weapons at his feet.

"What the hell do you want from us, you imp bastard?" Fern yelled. "If you're going kill us, get it over with already!"

"Tch," Levi sounded. "So eager to jump to your own death. If I wanted to kill you, I would have done so by now. I'm here to make a deal with you."

Addie and Fern both stammered with incredulity, sharing a confused look with each other.

"Why would we want to make a deal with you?" Fern snapped.

Levi just shrugged. "Do it or don't. I don't care. You can either put those 3DMG's you stole to good use and kill some shitty fucking titans with me and the rest of the Legion, or you can surrender yourself to the Military Police and pay for your crimes."

Addie groaned. "This is a nightmare. This has to be a nightmare. Military Police torture or certain death with the Scouting Legion? No thanks to both."

"Unfortunately for you, those are the only two options, princess," Levi replied, causing her to flinch at his choice of words. "Though I can think of a third." He tugged a handkerchief out of his pocket and proceeded to wipe blood spatter from his blades.

"You still do that," Addie muttered. "And it's still pointless. You're just going to get your blades dirty –"

"Can it and make your choice," Levi interrupted. "I'm not feeling very patient today."

Addie bit her lip, looking to Fern for any indication of his opinion. For once, she couldn't read him.

"We'll do it," she said suddenly.

Fern definitely did not see that coming.

"What the actual fuck, Addie?" he exclaimed, whipping his head violently in her direction. "Are you delusional? And do you have a death wish?"

She knew Fern wouldn't take it well. He had always been stubborn and rash. But she wasn't going to change her mind, no matter what he said. She certainly didn't know Levi anymore, but one thing about him hadn't changed. Once Levi set his mind to something, he would stop at absolutely nothing to achieve it. He was a manipulative bastard. Addie was almost positive he had no intention of actually handing them over to the Military Police, and she hoped the death threat had been an empty one too.

Fern was still grumbling, and Addie managed to quiet him with a serious look. She didn't want to argue with him.

"I'm joining the Scouting Legion," she said to him quietly. "And I'm not going to change my mind. You can come with me or choose the Military Police. It's your choice. Just please, please don't try anything stupid right now."

Fern was at a loss for words. Since Levi had left her, he and Addie had done literally everything together and rarely disagreed about anything. He couldn't understand why she was choosing that asshole midget over him. How could she have any loyalty to him after all he had put her through?

"For fuck's sake," Fern muttered. "Fine. I'll do it. I can't believe this..."

Levi nodded sharply toward Addie and finally sheathed his blades. "I knew at least you would see it my way. Let's get you cleaned up before we leave." He extended his hand toward her cheek, and she promptly recoiled.

"Fern will do it," she said quickly.

"Whatever," Levi responded indifferently. "You have five minutes." He leaned against the wall, not willing to let the pair out of his sight.

Addie and Fern sat on the stone curb, huddling close together.

"You look like a real terror, you know that?" Fern asked seriously as he pulled a glass shard out of her cheek as gently as possible.

Addie bit down on her bottom lip hard, determined not to cry out from the pain. Fern pulled out two more and she could feel tears welling up in her eyes.

"What the hell did you do anyway?" he inquired as he tenderly caressed her cheek with his thumb.

Fern's frown deepened as he studied her face. Addie's light hair and violet eyes were definitely an unusual sight. Paired with her typical smile, Fern had always thought his friend possessed a natural beauty. But right now she looked like she got chewed up and spit out by a titan.

Chunks of red tarnished her white hair. The contrast of the two colors was quite jarring, and Fern did his best to maintain a neutral expression, unsure of whether he would succeed. His fingers traced raised purple bruises and gashes filled with coagulated blood. He tore off one of his shirtsleeves and began dabbing her face, cleaning what he could.

Addie just sighed. "Trust me, you don't want to know. If I had succeeded, we probably wouldn't be in this situation."

Fern paused and looked Addie directly in the eyes. His gaze shifted briefly to Levi and then back to her.

"You're okay, right? Did you know about this?" he asked quietly.

Addie could feel heat creeping into her cheeks and was unable to keep her voice down.

"How could you even think that for a second?" she nearly yelled, grabbing the cloth out of Fern's hand and nearly ripping it in half.

He yanked it out of her grip. She couldn't see what she looked like, and she would only make a bigger mess of things.

"Enough of the lover's quarrel," Levi interjected suddenly, pushing himself off the wall and starting toward the pair. "Let's go."

Levi led them back the way he came. It took much longer without a 3DMG, but Addie's was broken and Levi definitely didn't trust Fern enough to allow him to use maneuvering gear at the moment. Their boots squished through thick pools of mud as they walked uphill. Addie and Fern seemed unaffected, but Levi's mouth twitched and he found himself constantly glancing down at his boots. He started debating which unlucky cadet he would make clean the shit off of them later tonight.

Finally they reached the end of the path, and strips of sunlight shone down at them through a sewer grate. Levi gave it a hard kick and it clattered on the street above. He hoisted himself up and then outstretched his hand to a defiant Addie, who hesitantly took it after a few moments. After he helped her up, she swiftly withdrew her hand from his and shielded her eyes from the brilliant sunlight.

"Holy fucking shit," Fern swore as he joined them.

Addie pried her eyes open little by little as they began adjusting to the light.

"Wow," she breathed, her eyes taking in colors and objects she never dreamed existed. She stared in awe at the world around her, noticing that many people had stopped to observe the trio curiously.

"The carriage is waiting to take us to the castle," Levi said, interrupting the silence.

Addie's eyes darted to her right, where a plain carriage drawn by two rather large creatures awaited them.

"Are those…horses?" she wondered aloud, delight creeping into her voice. Two chestnut stallions stood tall and proud in front of the carriage. One of them snorted before letting out a loud whinny, and Addie's smile only widened.

Fern let out an honest laugh, forgetting about his anger for a moment. "You know, I think they are."

Levi had begun striding toward the carriage and halted in his tracks, looking at Addie and Fern over his shoulder. "You two bloodsuckers can feel free to join me when you're done gaping around like idiots."

* * *

><p><em>Levi's weary feet trudged down the beaten road, his eyes scanning the darkness around him. His tough hands, still encrusted with blood from his recent job, clutched a knife that he hid underneath his cloak. He walked past beggars, drunkards, and fellow thieves that regarded him with shifty eyes. Nothing out of the ordinary, but one could never be too sure in the underground. One moment a man could be minding his own business, and the next he could be on the ground in a bloody pulp, missing his belongings and his dignity.<em>

_Levi froze, his senses heightening as he listened to a pathetic whimper echo through the emptiness around him. Damn dogs. To him they were disgusting, flea-ridden creatures that never listened when you told them to shut the fuck up. Levi was a dweller of the underground; he was used to the dark and didn't have to strain his eyes as he searched through the shadows for the source of the noise._

_In the alley to his right, a tall beer-bellied man loaded crates onto a wooden cart. The muffled whimper rose to a steady cry, and the man paused to kick a barred crate before returning to his task._

"_Shuddup, ya whiny shit. If ya keep that up, I won't be able ter sell ya," the man growled._

_Levi couldn't say what compelled him to stay and observe the man. It could only be described as a gut feeling. He was fucking exhausted and wanted nothing more than to return home to the comfort of his bed, but something didn't smell right about this situation, and it was much too close to his turf not to investigate. His body hidden behind the safety of an adjacent building, Levi watched as the man loaded one, two, three, four, five crates onto his cart. Only one crate remained, the barred one the man kicked only a moment earlier._

"_Quiet. Yer gonna wake up every bloody bandit down here, and then ye'll find out what hell really is. Yer better off with me fer now. So shut that damn mouth of yers," the man said to the crate, throwing a kick at it every few words._

_The crying turned into uncontrollable sobbing, and Levi's eyes widened slightly. It was then he realized there was no dog in the crate. It was a small child._

"_Let her go, asshole."_

_The man shifted his attention from the crate to Levi, who was only a few feet away from him._

"_Yer startled me!" the man exclaimed, catching his breath for a moment before his mouth widened into a toothless grin. "Like what yer see? She'll grow inter a beauty, fer sure. She's been causin' me a lot o' trouble, but the bitch still comes with a price."_

"_I said let her go, you sick fuck," Levi spat, glaring up at the man that towered above him._

_Levi could have sworn his blood began to boil as he listened to the man laugh. "I got ter make my livin' somehow. And what yer do is any better?" he asked, shooting a glance at Levi's blood-stained hands. "This is a shitty place we live in, and we got ter do what we got ter do ter stay alive. Now either pay up and take this brat off my hands or go back ter yer own business."_

"_If you don't let her out now, I promise you I will dismember your revolting body and feed it to the dogs after slitting your throat," Levi warned with stone-faced determination._

_The man laughed again. "A promise, eh? As if a midget like yerself would be able ter –"_

_But his words were cut off and replaced by a desperate gargle as blood seeped into his airway. He choked on his own crimson liquid and slumped to the ground, frantically gasping for air. Levi towered above the man now, his slate eyes detecting the man's final breath as his rasped breathing quickly came to an end._

"_You're a piece of shit that's about to become dog food," Levi remarked impassively as he yanked his blade out of the man's thick neck. He grimaced as a few droplets of blood splashed his face. He focused his attention on the man's corpse and raised his blade, ready to fulfill the promise when a heartbreaking cry sounded from his left. _

_Levi halted, lowering his blade. The girl. He had forgotten about the girl. And he had just murdered a man in front of her. He leapt over to the cage and pulled on its door, causing the cage's occupant to elicit a high-pitched shriek. A pair of sunken violet eyes peered at him, displaying fear and suffering no child of her age should know. A tangled mess of white hair framed her thin features._

"_It's okay," Levi murmured. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'll get you out of here. Does he keep a key?"_

_The girl nodded. Levi returned to the body, patting it down sufficiently. He pocketed money and other valuables he found, but he did not discover a key. He frowned, wondering where the hell he would keep a key to a child's cage if he were a shitty fucking scum of earth child trafficker. He continued to search the man's clothes, and after a few more failed attempts he grasped a thin necklace hidden beneath the man's shirt. He ripped it from the man's neck, and sure enough, a key dangled from the thin cord of twine. Blood dripped down the key's grooves and edges._

_Levi crouched in front of the cage and inserted the key into its rusty lock. He jiggled the key a few times before a clicking noise sounded and he was finally able to pry the door open. He extended his hand to the girl, waiting patiently as she took her time deciding whether she could trust him. She finally clutched his hand, and he pulled her out of the cage that was barely big enough for her tiny body._

"_You okay?" he asked quietly, gazing at her face that was coated in dried tears._

_Of course she wasn't fucking okay. Levi wanted to roll his eyes at his own supreme idiocy. She was locked up in a cage for Maria, Rose, and Sina knows how long by the man that had just been slayed before her very eyes. That would be tough for an adult to bear, and she was merely a child. Levi studied her for a moment; he had barely interacted with any children before and was at an utter loss for what to do. Maybe she needed a pat on the head or a hug or something._

_The girl just sniffled, rubbing fresh tears from her eyes before staring soundlessly at the man's corpse._

"_Where's your mom? Your dad?" Levi continued to question when she didn't respond._

"_No," he said flatly, halting her hand midair before she could point to the deceased man. "He was not your dad. It's okay. I don't have parents, either. I'm Levi. What's your name?"_

"_Huh?" she asked quizzically, gazing at him with wide eyes._

_Levi was beginning to get frustrated. Children sure were hard to communicate with. Their pea-sized brains must not be formed fully enough to understand words yet at her age._

"_What are you called?" he pressed further._

"_Um…I'm not called anything," she mumbled sadly, returning her gaze to the ground._

_Levi's calloused fingers reached for the girl's chin, tilting it upward so they were eye to eye. "Well, what do you want to be called?" he asked._

_She seemed to consider this for a moment, her eyebrows wrinkling as if she were deep in thought. Levi almost chuckled at the gesture, which seemed adult-like in its nature._

"_Adelisa," she declared after a moment of silence._

"_Where the hell'd you get that from?" he speculated aloud, genuinely curious about her odd choice._

"_It's a name for a princess," she beamed, her tiny voice growing with confidence. "Will you call me that?"_

"_No," Levi responded, causing new tears to well up in the corners of her eyes. "I won't call you a prissy name like that. I'll call you Addie."_

"_YAY!" she squealed, launching into him and hugging his chest tightly._

_Levi gasped and nearly toppled over, surprised by the sudden gesture. He stiffened slightly before giving in to the child's touch. Levi stood up with the girl now named Addie still clutching onto his chest. She giggled as he plucked her off of his form and deposited her on the ground below._

"_Enough of that," he announced. "Let's get out of here." He began to lead her out of the bleak alley and back to the main road, and only a few seconds passed before she clutched his hand._

"_Where are we going?" she piped up from below._

"_Home," Levi said, looking down at the girl who barely came up to his waist._

"_Your home? Is it gonna be my home too?" she asked, her young voice full of excitement and wonder._

_Levi didn't hold back this time and let out a low chuckle. Children were astonishing creatures. He had no idea the extent of the horrors Addie had witnessed during her short life, but she had managed to do a complete 180 in a matter of minutes._

"_We'll see…" was all he said._

"_WOW! It's so big!" Addie exclaimed as they approached the small, rundown hideout. She ran up the steps to the front door, her arms open wide. She whirled back around to face Levi and smiled. Her youthful mind didn't seem to notice or care about the house's state of disrepair. The windows were boarded up with wooden slats, and loose shingles threatened to fall from the roof._

"_Let's get you cleaned up," Levi muttered, placing a hand on her head briefly before entering his home. She shuffled and hurried after him._

_Levi promptly lifted her into a wooden chair, her shoes dangling feet from the floor. He left her there, busying himself at the sink for a moment before returning with a wet washcloth._

"_You're filthy," he frowned, gently wiping dirt and dried tears from her face. His frown only deepened as he eyed purpled bruises on the side of her face that trailed down the back of her neck._

"_Uh…Levi?" a male voice sounded from behind the pair._

"_Yes, Farlan?"_

"_You…you have a child with you."_

"_Yes, Farlan."_

"_Well…you said it yourself. Children are nothing but dirty shit machines that wreak havoc wherever their grubby little fingers can reach," Farlan said slowly. It was more of a question than a statement, as if he couldn't wrap his mind around the scene in front of him._

_Levi made steady work of cleaning Addie's face. He didn't bother to look behind him, but he sensed the bewilderment in Farlan's voice and could practically hear the gears turning in his friend's head._

"_That's no way to talk to a princess!" Addie practically yelled, her shrill voice forcing Levi's hands over his ears._

"_Princess?" Farlan laughed. "Dontcha think you're kinda dirty for a princess?"_

"_She can't be older than 10. She's a child; she's delusional. Don't bother yourself with it," Levi said mildly._

"_Awwww! Who's the little runt? She's cute!" a female squealed as she bounded into the room. The redhead crouched down next to Levi, pinching Addie's cheeks. Addie responded by swatting her hands repeatedly._

"_Adelisa," Addie said proudly at precisely the same moment Levi uttered "Addie."_

"_Farlan, Isabel. Addie will be staying with us for a while," Levi stated, his features devoid of any emotion._

"_Wow, Levi! You're a daddy!" Isabel hooted. "I didn't think this day would come so soon! Are you gonna take care of her?" The corners of her lips turned upward into an amused smile._

_Levi didn't return the smile and instead stood up abruptly. "Don't be ridiculous. Now find the half-pint some food to eat or something," he instructed before leaving the room._

* * *

><p><em>But a while stretched into years, and those years stretched into the better part of a decade. Addie became a permanent part of their lives, and they adored the silly girl ten years their junior. Isabel embraced the addition of another girl to their group, always gossiping and sometimes sharing her secrets. Farlan joked and teased Addie like a little sister. And Levi…well, he talked to her when he felt like it, and he ignored her when he felt like it. Levi would never admit it, but he had taking a liking to the little brat. Addie was wise beyond her years for a child. She knew this, and the smallest suggestion of the fact made her smile every day. She didn't need him to say it.<em>

_Addie and Levi were polar opposites. Addie was happy-go-lucky, to a stupid degree in his opinion, despite all the terrible shit she had endured as a child. And Levi was just…Levi, and annoyingly so. If there was something else Addie was, it was persistent as hell. Over the years she continued to poke, prod, and question him. She quizzed him about his past, his future, his thoughts on anything and everything. She rambled on when he didn't want to talk. She pushed him emotionally, hoping one day he would let down his walls and allow her to see the real him._

"_I thought you wanted to be royalty?" Levi demanded, a scowl etched into his face. "That's no way for a prissy princess to behave."_

_Addie bit her bottom lip. She stood in the middle of the kitchen, surrounded by a large mess of flour. The white substance coated her hair, face and a good portion of her clothes._

"_Isabel started it," she sighed, reaching for the broom Levi held out to her. "Besides, I changed my mind."_

"_What, then?" Levi inquired. He hoisted himself onto the kitchen counter, watching her sweep up the mess. She had grown a couple feet since they took her in, but she was still immature brat at times._

_Addie brushed the flour into a dustpan before emptying it in the trash. Levi frowned, noticing tiny specks of flour fall from her clothing as she walked. He would no doubt have to clean anyway. She placed herself directly in front of him, offering him the broom back._

"_I want to be a hero like you," she revealed, looking into his slate eyes to gauge his reaction._

_Levi stiffened for a moment before snatching the broom from her grasp. "Has anyone ever told you you're a genuine idiot?"_

"_Only you," Addie frowned. She seemed deep in thought, as though she had just realized that fact. "But it's true! You saved me from that terrible man."_

_He sat silently, turning his head away from hers. Addie pouted. She shuffled closer to him, taking his chiseled chin in her small hand and moving his face directly opposite her own._

"_I don't like to see you so sad all the time," she whispered, pursing her lips. Her inquisitive violet orbs searched his detached slate ones, but they revealed nothing. They never did._

"_Disgusting," Levi muttered, removing her hand from his chin and wiping off flour. Addie giggled._

"_If you don't want to see me like that, then promise me you'll never become like me," he said seriously, his gaze never leaving hers._

_Addie sulked, crossing her arms over her chest. She opened her mouth to speak but was silenced when he bushed a finger over her lips, not allowing her the chance to argue like he knew she would._

"_Promise me," he insisted._

_Addie sighed, defeated. "If it'll make you happy," she offered. "Then okay. I promise."_

"_Good," Levi replied, satisfied with her answer. "Now take a bath, you filthy idiot." He pressed his palm hard against her forehead, causing her to stumble backward._

* * *

><p>Addie stared out the carriage window, taking in the scenery that passed her by. She had never seen such lush colors. The clear blue sky was dotted with whimsical clouds that flitted by in various shapes. The sun's rays beat down from above, illuminating everything in their path.<p>

Everything looked different in the light. Buildings, animals, people. The world was a bleak and shitty one, but at the present moment, people looked happy. Children danced around a cobblestone square, tossing a ball at each other. Wall worshippers preached eagerly, earnestly, at any passerby that would listen. Groups of military policemen huddled around crowded tables, clinking beer glasses and smiling widely. She had only known the people of the underground and was not used to seeing such emotions so frequently.

Addie had always dreamed of living on the surface, but not like this. As a child, she yearned to explore the world above with Levi, Farlan and Isabel. When her three companions vanished, her dream went with them. Sure, Fern had saved her, and she had grown closer to him than anyone, but Addie had already learned her lesson. She learned not to hope for such foolish things.

But Levi was suddenly back in her life, and Addie had no idea what to think of him or her current situation. She had yet to sort through her mess of emotions, the primary ones being anger and betrayal. She knew there was no way he had forgotten about their time together and the bond they shared. But then why was he acting like he didn't give a pea-sized shit about her?

"Addie? Helloooo? Is the sunshine turning you into an idiot?" Fern let out an exasperated sigh, continually poking his white-haired companion.

Addie was jolted from her reveries and frowned at Fern before turning back to the window. The cobblestone path turned into a dirt one as the carriage traveled further away from the town and into a vast landscape of green.

"Addie!" Fern exclaimed. "I'm trying to talk to you! Can you stop staring out the window like a kid at a candy store for two seconds?"

Addie shot him an annoyed look. "How would you know? You've never been to a candy store, Fern."

Fern opened his mouth to retort, but Levi wouldn't allow it.

"Would you two shut the hell up? We'll be at HQ any minute. I plan to enjoy these last few moments of silence before hordes of shitty brats are breathing down my neck again," Levi said as he crossed one leg over the other.

That was fine with all parties. Addie was mad at Levi, Fern was mad at Addie, and Levi just wanted the two of them to shut their damn mouths. None of them really wanted to talk to the others anyway. The three of them sat in an uncomfortable silence for the rest of the ride. The carriage finally came to an abrupt stop and Levi immediately stood up to reach for the door. He halted in his tracks and turned to face the pair, his hand lingering on the doorknob.

"Make no mistake," he started, "I know what's going on in your heads. This moment forward, you aren't your own bosses anymore. I am. Corporal or Heichou, never Levi. One wrong move and I won't hesitate to embarrass you in front of your new peers and throw your sorry asses to the Military Police. Do I make myself clear?"

His still expression and unblinking eyes challenged Addie and Fern, who said nothing in response.

"I said, do I make myself clear you mute shitheads?" Levi demanded, raising his voice slightly.

Addie lowered her gaze to the floor and Fern mumbled a barely audible "Yes, Corporal" as anger flickered through his eyes.

Levi took in Addie's hurt expression and she could have sworn his features softened for a moment, but it was a fleeting one, and before she knew it he had exited the carriage and left them behind.

"This is it, Addie," Fern said, extending his hand to her and helping her down the carriage steps. "You know I'd follow you to hell and back. I hope this is what you really want."

Addie stood rooted to the spot and watched Fern follow Levi toward the massive castle that loomed above them.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Waaaah sorry this took so long! I had a whirlwind month of moving, getting married, and honeymooning abroad! I was a little too ambitious with this chapter and didn't finish it before I left. But now I'm back and promising more frequent updates. Not sure if all future chapters will be this long btw, but we will see.**

**And yay, thanks for all of the follows, faves and the review! Very encouraging for my first fic. I seriously thought I would get like, 2 at most lol. Hopefully Chapter 2 didn't disappoint! I wanted to get a little back story in there and we'll be seeing some more of our fave characters next chapter.**


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